Virginia lawmaker thinks shutdown will last around 30 days

• "If I had to give an over/under, I would say 30 days, which would be the end of the month," he said at an Axios News Shapers event.
• "Nov. 1 is open enrollment for the Affordable Care Act," he said, which will force families to make "very hard decisions about their health care coverage."

Zoom in: Virginia's 11th Congressional District has an estimated 52,000 federal employees, which make up approximately 12% of its workforce, according to the Congressional Research Service.

• "From federal workers, I hear 'hold the line' because we need to stand up to the administration," he said.
• Walkinshaw insists that only "a very small percentage" of his constituents are calling on him to reopen the government immediately. The vast majority want assurances that their health care won't be adversely affected.
• "The Trump administration has been shutting down much of the federal government anyway," he said.

The bottom line: This shutdown feels different from the previous three, Walkinshaw said.

• Asked if he'd take the over or the under on his Nov. 1 deadline, Walkinshaw said: "I'll take the under. We're optimistic this morning."